Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
We know that the Wampanoag Indians taught the early colonists how to grow food and survive in North America, but not all Indians welcomed the colonists. Many of them viewed the colonists with suspicion, rightfully so. European and Indian cultures were very different and clashes were probably inevitable.
Europeans believed in the idea of owning and selling land. The Indians believed that the land couldn’t be owned, bought, or sold. They believed the Earth was for everyone to share and use respectfully, never taking more than one needed. As Europeans arrived, they laid claim to the land. Indians were no longer allowed to hunt on their old hunting grounds. Their way of life was slowly being destroyed.
Fun Facts
Vocabulary
Questions and Answers
Question: Why were the Indians unable to defeat the colonists?
Answer: The Indians lacked central government, which made it hard for them to work as an organized group, while the English had a very organized military. The main reason for the Indians’ defeat in battle, though, was their lack of firearms. They fought with spears, knives, and bow and arrows. The English were well-equipped with guns.
European diseases like measles, smallpox and cholera, swept through Indian tribes, killing up to 90 percent of the people. Indians passed down their knowledge, culture and traditions through oral traditions (telling stories). When elders died, no one was left to tell the stories.
Learn More
Visit Colonial Williamsburg to learn more about Native American culture.
You may cut-and-paste the below MLA and APA citation examples:
Declan, Tobin. " Colonial And Indian Relations Fun Facts for Kids ." American History for Kids, Sep 2023. Web. 30 Sep 2023. < https://www.americanhistoryforkids.com/indian-relations-during-the-colonial-period/ >.
Tobin, Declan. (2023). Colonial And Indian Relations Fun Facts for Kids. American History for Kids. Retrieved from https://www.americanhistoryforkids.com/indian-relations-during-the-colonial-period/